1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to laser systems and in particular to the installation and removal of a laser chamber in a laser system housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Gas laser systems, such as excimer lasers, conventionally include a laser chamber or discharge chamber. A mixture of gases (such as halogen, rare gases, helium, and neon) are injected into the chamber and excited by a potential between two electrodes to produce a laser beam. Examples of gas lasers are found in Fujimoto et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,977; Bittenson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,573; Turner, U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,254; Das et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,334; and Akins et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,959,840, all of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
One problem with such a laser system is that the laser chamber must be serviced regularly. With some laser chambers weighing over 140 pounds, removing the laser chamber from the laser system housing or installing the laser chamber in the housing can be physically challenging for service technicians. In addition, the weight of the chamber may exceed some organizations handling regulations.
To aid in the removal and installation of a laser chamber in the laser system housing, rails are bolted on to the laser system housing. The laser chamber is then moved out from the laser housing on the bolt-on rails wherein a technician(s) lifts or lowers the laser chamber onto a service cart. One problem with such a system is that, when not in use, the bolt-on rails need to be stored in a location that is accessible and convenient to a service technician and yet do not interfere with the operation of the laser system. Another problem is that wrenches or other tools are typically needed to install the bolt on rails.
What is desirable is a system to reduce the manual effort and increase the convenience in installing or removing a laser chamber in a laser system housing.